The Argentine blind football team lost to home team France in a penalty shootout in the final game of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The team, known as Los Murciélagos (the bats), won the silver medal — its fifth overall in Paralympic history — and added the 11th medal to the Argentine Paralympic Team.
Argentina began the match looking to win and get its first gold medal in this tournament. France, on the other hand, had never obtained a single medal in this competition. The home team opened the scoreboard four minutes before the end of the first half thanks to a clean shot by Frederic Villeroux that Argentine goalkeeper Germán Muleck couldn’t stop.
The French didn’t have much time to celebrate as Los Murciélagos tied things up in the very next play. Argentine star Maxi Espinillo received a pass from Padilla right after restarting the game and got his kick to get past the goalie. Although Argentina played a good match, the score would end with a 1-1 draw that sent everything to a penalty shootout to determine the winner.
France eventually got the upper hand and won 3-2 thanks to goals made by Hakim Arezki, Martin Baron, and Frederic Villeroux. Argentina’s two goals were scored by Maxi Espinillo and Mario Ríos, while Nahuel Heredia shot was saved by French goalkeeper Alessandro Bartolomucci.
The road to the final wasn’t easy. On Friday, Argentina beat Brazil, the most successful team in the history of blind soccer. Up until that point, the Verdeamarelha had gone 20 years undefeated and won five Paralympic gold medals. However, the Murciélagos had already defeated them in the 2022 adapted football Copa América final, in Córdoba.
In 2023, they went on to win the World Blind Football Championship, beating China on penalties to lift their third title, having previously won it in 2002 and 2006.